Besan Halwa
My mom makes the best Besan Halwa (Besan Ka Sheera). Her recipe comes together in under 25 minutes using 6 simple ingredients. Try it!
I love making a variety of halwas at home and here are some of my favorites – Lauki Halwa, Moong Dal Halwa, Atta Halwa, Carrot Halwa, Sooji Ka Halwa, and Bread Halwa.
Both my mom and dad are phenomenal cooks. While both of them cook just a handful of dishes, but whatever they cook is just perfect. This besan halwa is my mom’s specialty.
Besan ka halwa recipe has become popular these days, but when we were growing up, not many people made halwa using besan. It was my mom’s unique recipe which everyone wanted to eat for parties and festivals. So for every get-together, our family and friends would request my mom to make this delicious dessert and she always obliged.
I still remember the delicious nutty aroma that wafted through the entire house from the kitchen when she would roast besan to make this halwa, or for that matter, any sweet made using besan like Besan Ladoo, Besan Barfi, etc.
In this post, I am sharing her recipe. Do try!
About Besan Halwa
Besan Halwa (Besan ka Sheera, Chickpea Flour Pudding) is a traditional Indian sweet dish which is made using chickpea flour (besan, gram flour), ghee, sugar, and dried nuts.
It is perfect to make when you want a quick dessert. It can also be made for weddings, special occasions, pujas, and festive occasions like Holi and Diwali. I personally love to eat it in cold winter months or on rainy days.
What I like about my mom’s besan ka halwa recipe is that it is a one-pot recipe unlike some recipes on the internet which require you to make a sugar syrup separately.
Ingredients
This recipe need some basic ingredients like besan flour (gram flour, chickpea flour), ghee, granulated white sugar, milk, water, and cardamom powder. All these ingredients are mostly available in any Indian kitchen and if not, then they are easily available at any Indian grocery store.
For the best results, try to use whole milk (full-fat milk). But if it’s unavailable, then you can also use skim milk and low-fat milk.
Please make the halwa only in ghee and not oil. Halwa made in oil will not at all taste good.
You can replace white granulated sugar with brown sugar or coconut sugar but the traditional taste comes only with white sugar.
Dried nuts like almonds and pistachios add a nice crunch to the otherwise soft halwa. Use a sharp knife or a nut slicer to sliver them and top the ready halwa with them. You can also add cashews and raisins to it.
How To Make Besan Ka Halwa
Heat ½ cup ghee in a heavy bottom pan at medium heat.
Once the ghee is melted, add ¾ cup chickpea flour and roast until it turns dark brown and aromatic (10-12 mins), stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning at the bottom of the pan.
Note – The color of the final halwa will depend on how well you have roasted the flour. You want the flour to be dark golden brown but not burn it. It goes from perfectly browned to burnt in a few seconds. So monitor it closely while roasting.
Once the chickpea flour is browned well, add 1 cup water and ½ cup milk to the pan and mix well. Cook until the flour absorbs all the liquid. Stir continuously during this process.
Now add ½ cup of granulated white sugar and 1 teaspoon cardamom powder to the pan and mix well.
Cook for 5-6 minutes until the ghee starts to separate from the sides of the pan and halwa starts to leave the edges of the pan. Stir continuously while cooking.
Garnish the ready halwa with slivered with almond and pistachios and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. Just replace ghee with coconut oil and dairy milk with any plant-based milk like coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc. Other ingredients used in this recipe are vegan friendly.
Pro Tips By Neha
Make besan ka halwa only in ghee, and do not reduce the amount of ghee. Halwa cooked in less ghee will taste pasty and not at all good.
Fry the besan on medium heat. If you fry it on high heat, it might get burned and the halwa will taste bitter.
If the besan is not fried properly, it tastes raw. So make sure to fry it until it turns dark brown and a nutty aroma starts to emit from it.
You can use milk in place of water for a richer halwa. Or use half milk and half water.
Add some whole wheat flour or fine sooji (semolina) to the besan mixture to make different variations of besan ka halwa.
To make this delicious besan halwa recipe even more indulgent and give it a royal touch, soak 15-20 saffron strands in 1 tablespoon milk for 30 minutes. Now add this milk while making the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Serve besan halwa warm or at room temperature. I like to garnish it with lots of chopped or slivered dried nuts and dried rose petals before serving. To make it even more indulgent, fry the chopped nuts in some ghee and then top them over the halwa.
In my house, halwa is made for breakfast along with some savory dish as well as for desserts. You can also make it for festivals, special occasions, or get-togethers.
Besan halwa is considered very good to eat during pregnancy and for growing kids and is said to be a sure-shot remedy to comfort the severe cold. Make it a little thinner by adding more milk if you plan to serve it as a medicine for a cold or sore throat.
Storage Suggestions
I try to make the exact quantity of this halwa as needed at that time as it tastes the best when made fresh. But still, sometimes, I have leftovers. In that case, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
When you want to serve it again, just reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm. If you feel it has become thick after refrigerating, add some milk or water and adjust the consistency.
You can also freeze it for 2 months. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge or for a few hours over the counter before heating. Heat in a microwave and serve.
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Besan Halwa Recipe (Indian Chickpea Flour Dessert)
Ingredients
- ½ cup ghee
- ¾ cup chickpea flour (besan, gram flour)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup whole milk (full-fat milk)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- almond and pistachio slivers for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan at medium heat.
- Once the ghee is melted, add chickpea flour and roast until it turns dark brown and aromatic (10-12 mins), stirring continuously to avoid the flour from burning at the bottom of the pan.
- Note – The color of the final halwa will depend on how well you have roasted the flour. You want the flour to be dark brown in color but not burn it. It goes from perfectly browned to burnt in a few seconds. So keep a close eye while roasting it.
- Once the chickpea flour is browned well, add water and milk to the pan and mix well. Cook until the liquid is absorbed by the flour, stirring continuously.
- Now add sugar and cardamom powder to the pan and mix well.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes until the ghee starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Stir continuously while cooking.
- Once done, garnish with almond and pistachio slivers and serve hot.
hi neha! this is me vedica bhardwaj…. a restaurant owner in Boston and i must say that this is the perfect place for me to get ideas for the beautiful cum auspicious indian specialities for celebrating them across the western world! thanks and a warm hearted congratulations for your effort come in bright colours…. People like you are admired!
cheers to future!
Happy to hear this Vedica 🙂
Yes I tried your recipe seriously it’s too tasty one of my girlfriend came from U. s. A and she Never tried any Indian food but she love this halwa thank you so much
Good to know this 🙂
Tried many other besan Ka halwa recipes but I can this one was the best among all.
I didn’t used 1/2 cup water as you mentioned that it will come up with richer taste with milk only.
Thank you for the recipe. It was the best desert I’ve ever made.
So glad to read this 🙂
My mom used to make Besan ka halwa for my dad as his comfort food. She passed away a few months ago. I have only a few of her recipes but didn’t have one for the halwa. I followed your recipe and kept my mom’s voice in my head to make sure I don’t overdo the heat or stirring. It turned out good and my dad loved it. Thank you so much for helping me try and recreate such a beloved recipe and remember her.
It is so good to hear this 🙂
I tried your recipe and it came out really well!
Thnx for trying 🙂
Mine turned too dark in colour, but taste was good don’t know what did I do wrong
Hi Masna, the besan should be roasted just about dark brown for perfect colour. Over roasting will make the halwa dark in colour.
my halwa turned out very good